LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
| LGBTQ+ Victory Fund | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Type: | Political action committee |
| Top official: | Evan Low, President and CEO |
| Year founded: | 1991 |
| Website: | Official website |
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund (formerly named the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and LGBTQ Victory Fund) is a political action committee (PAC). As of August 2025, its website said it was "the only national organization devoted to electing pro-equality, pro-choice LGBTQ+ leaders to public office at every level."[1]
Background
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund was founded on May 1, 1991 as the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.[2]The group's founders, including Dallas gay-rights activist William Waybourn and Human Rights Campaign Fund Executive Director Vic Basile, were inspired by the formation of EMILY's List.[2]
In the fall of 1991, Sherry Harris defeated a 24-year incumbent to win a seat on the Seattle City Council. Harris was the first candidate endorsed and supported by the Fund.[2]
During its first full election cycle, the Fund raised more than $263,000 and supported 12 candidates, six of whom won election. [2]
In 2023, LGBTQ Victory Fund changed its name to LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.[3]
As of August 2025, the group said its mission was "to work to achieve equality for LGBTQ+ Americans by increasing the number of out LGBTQ+ officials at all levels of government."[4]
Leadership
As of August 2025, Evan Low was the president and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.[5]
As of August 2025, the following individuals were members of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund's board of directors:
- Joseph Falk, Chair
- Paul Feeney, Vice chair
- Ken Bohan, Treasurer
- Lorei Lightfoot, Secretary
- Eric V. Blackwell
- Mark Buse
- Charlotte Clymer
- John Horton
- Robert Meza
- Wayne Ting
- Jer-Adrienne Lelliot, ex officio
- Matt McDermott, ex officio
Work and activities
Political activity
- See also: Political action committee
As a political action committee, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund can raise and spend money on elections, but the group is not run by a party or an individual candidate. The PAC can donate money to parties or candidates it supports.[6]
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund endorses candidates, who must meet the following qualifications to be considered:[7]
| “ |
**Note: Judicial endorsements are not required to meet these criteria.[8] |
” |
To view the current list of candidates endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, click here.
2025-2026 elections
Candidate endorsements
As of August 2025, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund had endorsed the following individuals for U.S. Congress or governor:
- Toni Atkins, Governor of California
- Angie Craig, United States Senator, Minnesota
- Sharice Davids, Kansas' 3rd Congressional District
- Jolanda Jones. Texas' 18th Congressional District
- JoAnna Mendoza, Arizona's 6th Congressional District
- Kevin Morrison, Illinois' 8th Congressional District
- Jeremy Moss, Michigan's 11th Congressional District
- Chris Pappas, United States Senator, New Hampshire
- Emily Randall, Washington's 6th Congressional District
- Eric Sorensen, Illinois' 17th Congressional District
2016 elections
Candidate endorsements
As of July 2016, the then-Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund endorsed 28 local candidates, 66 state-level candidates, and 10 federal 2016 candidates. The following list includes the Fund's federal candidates:[9]
- Angie Craig, Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District
- Bob Poe, Florida's 10th Congressional District
- David Cicilline, Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District
- Denise Juneau, Montana's At-Large Congressional District
- Jared Polis, Colorado's 2nd Congressional District
- Jim Gray, United States Senate-Kentucky
- Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona's 9th Congressional District
- Mark Takano, California's 41st Congressional District
- Matt Heinz, Arizona's 2nd Congressional District
- Sean Maloney, New York's 18th Congressional District
2014 elections
Candidate endorsements
The then-Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund endorsed the following candidates during the 2014 election cycle:[10]
- Bonnie Dumanis, District Attorney of San Diego County, California
- Sean Eldridge, New York's 19th Congressional District
- Mary Gonzalez, Texas House of Representatives District 75
- Celia Israel, Texas House of Representatives District 50
- Steve Kerrigan, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
- Sean Patrick Maloney, New York's 18th Congressional District
- Mike Michaud, Governor of Maine
- Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona's 9th Congressional District
LGBTQ+ Victory Institute
The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute is a sister organization of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund that trains and supports candidates for office. Its mission, according to its website as of August 2025, was to "invest in the next generation of LGBTQ+ public leaders, supporting a strong pipeline for members of our community pursuing public service."[11]
In addition, the group seeks to "understand the barriers to LGBTQ+ participation in politics" and conducts an annual report on the number of LGBTQ lawmakers in the United States.[12]
LGBTQ+ Victory Action
LGBTQ+ Victory Action is a state-level group that helps LGBTQ+ Victory Fund "identify and support local LGBTQ+ leaders to run for office."[13] The group includes state-level chapters staffed by volunteers.[13]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the federal receipts and expenditures for 2020 to 2024 for the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, according to documents submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- LGBTQ Victory Fund homepage
- LGBTQ Victory Fund on Facebook
- LGBTQ Victory Fund on Instagram
- LGBTQ Victory Fund on Twitter
- LGBTQ Victory Fund on YouTube
Footnotes
- ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Fund , "Home," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 LGBTQ+ Victory Fund , "History," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Fund , "LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Launches New Brand; Celebrates LGBTQ+ Progress, Joy and Resilience," March 1, 2023
- ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Fund , "About," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Fund , "Our Team," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Quick answers," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, "Endorsements," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ LGBTQ Victory Fund, "Our candidates," accessed July 8, 2016
- ↑ LGBTQ Victory Fund, "Our candidates," accessed December 5, 2013
- ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Institute , "About LGBTQ+ Victory Institute," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Institute , "Research," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 LGBTQ+ Victory Fund , "LGBTQ+ Victory Action," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission , "LGBTQ Victory Fund Federal PAC," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission , "LGBTQ Victory Fund Federal PAC," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission , "LGBTQ Victory Fund Federal PAC," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission , "LGBTQ Victory Fund Federal PAC," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission , "LGBTQ Victory Fund Federal PAC," accessed August 15, 2025
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